


Look Again

by ObliqueOptimism



Series: Like Real People Do [4]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: ASL, Deaf Character, Gen, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Not Beta Read, Sober Klaus Hargreeves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-10-10 07:11:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20524016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObliqueOptimism/pseuds/ObliqueOptimism
Summary: Klaus was glad the world didn't end, however this meant he had time to bond with his family. He guessed that was worth it.





	1. Number Five

**Author's Note:**

> well here is chapter one its -- i'm happy with it i think? wine has been had while i wrote like the second half of this and looked over it so any mistakes are y'know, they belong to my drunk self

Klaus closed his eyes and counted

one, two, three, four (he’s Four), five (where’s Five? There’s Five)

he opened them and smiled. (Five _was_ there. Standing before Klaus in all his tiny, angry glory.) He was honestly surprised Five was there, he hadn’t been there when Klaus closed his eyes. He was saying _something_ but in vain. Alas, no hearing could be found on Klaus’s end. (He’d been meditating. It helped with flashbacks.)

But Five was there (really and actually there)! The few times Klaus would be sober during _that time_ he would always try to get in contact with his brother, always glad when he failed (good, he got away, he was alive, he got free, but he never came back to free the others). After he got sober (for real) he’d tried a few times. He’d tried after he got a better handle of his powers and still no (mambo) Number Five (_a little bit of Monica in my life_) in his life.

“Darling Five, I assumed someone had sent the memo to you in our fax machine -- _do we have a fax machine, what is a fax machine_? Five, how do fax machines work? No, don’t tell me. Not right now, I’m deaf -- that’s the memo. I think since we’ve all gotten back that Ben’s been around to translate but he’s off doing _Ben things_.”

Five looked annoyed. He then pulled a small notebook from his breast pocket, “I know you’re deaf. We went over this last week.”

“Last week for _you_,” Klaus pointed out, “I’ve been in ‘Nam for ten months, brother mine. Couldn’t remember if we went over the whole _Klaus deafened himself_ thing with you.”

Five froze, frowning, “I didn’t know you deafened yourself.”

_This again._ Klaus rolled his eyes, always having to explain. “Sure did. So, what can I, your _humble_ sibling, Klaus, do for you?”

“A few things,” Five wrote down, showing him for a second before writing more. “I want to learn ASL eventually but I also want to talk to you about time travel and why you think the apocalypse didn’t happen. Based on the information I gathered from the future you changed the most so I thought it would be good to start with you to see the changes.”

“You think _I_ can help you solve the apocalypse problem? Or lack thereof?” Klaus was taken aback. He’d expect Van or Di to ask him of similar (they knew him and trusted him now) but the other three, the newer three, the three who still thought he was a second away from relapsing (he didn’t blame them, it’s how they knew him but they didn’t know him now did they), it was a surprise. 

“Yes. You and Vanya changed the most, she has powers which she didn’t know about. I will be talking to her too, but you are here now so I thought I’d start with you.” Five’s handwriting was the fast scrawl of a person who was used to writing a lot of words at once. Not the neat little letters of people who didn’t write their thoughts often. Klaus had found you could tell how often the person wrote stuff down with pen and paper based on handwriting and how fast they wrote their words.

“Okay, lay out your questions,” Klaus sprawled out on the sofa, this was going to be a long conversation and he would be comfortable for it. He only wished Dave was here by his side like -- but no. He died. (In Klaus’s arms, the bastard. He’d never forgive him. When he saw him next (soon) he’d have to let him know. _He wasn’t supposed to die_. He told him it wasn’t allowed. Disobeyed the rules like Klaus always did but this was a rule that wasn’t meant to be broken. He’d taught Dave to rebel too well, apparently. Fuck Dave. God, please let him be able to contact Dave. He hadn’t tried yet, worried that he wouldn’t be able to reach him. What if he couldn’t see Dave again. He was so good at his powers now, Ben usually being _solid and there_ and he could do his telekinesis easily (unless he had a head injury) but what if, even though he had control over his powers, Dave still didn’t come? What if--?)

A small finger tapped his cheek. Klaus blinked slowly, seeing a very worried Vanya in front of him. When did she get here?

“You back with us?” She looked very worried (why? back? he didn’t go anywhere did he? he’d been meditating to help fight the flashbacks).

“Sure, sorry. Was just thinkin’. Y’know how those years of drug abuse turned my brain to mashed potatoes.” Klaus smiled. (His mile felt cracked.)

“That wasn’t your usual spacing,” Vanya protested. “Vietnam? Dave?”

Klaus nodded. He should’ve known Van would figure it out instantly. She knew him so well. (_She knew him too well._) Five was standing beside them, looking at them as if trying to figure something out. But by the twitch in his eyebrow Klaus knew he was worried. He knew that look from childhood. Five would always try and be stoic but he had his tells.

Klaus had told his Family (capital F) (Ben, Vanya, Diego, Eudora) pretty in depth with what had happened (torture, ‘Nam, Dave) but told his family (small f) (Five, Allison, Luther) the basics of what happened (he was questioned, he went to war, he lost someone).

So Five didn’t know it was Vietnam, he didn’t know it was Dave. All he had was a few sentences to go on (but that big ol’ brain of his would piece it together before too long). “You fought in the _Vietnam war?_ You said you were gone for _ten months_.” How kind of Vanya to translate for him, Five’s hand was busy running through his hair as he stared at Klaus.

Which, _rude_.

“Staring is rude, y’know,” Klaus commented. 

How lucky that Five had wanted to talk most with Van and him and now here they all were. Perfect. And Vanya would be a great translator. (Why had she come back from -- wherever she’d been? He’d missed her appearing (he’d missed her), too busy thinking about his lovely Dave (he missed him). But thankfully she was back and Five was back and he had all of his siblings back.) “Five was about to ask me some questions. And you can do your job of helping the conversation flow.”

“You mean translate?”

“Yes please.”

She rolled her eyes fondly. (How great that he knew she did it fondly. Oh how times had changed.) “You had questions for us? Both of us?”

“I’m trying to find out how we accidentally averted the apocalypse,” Five answered. He took another book out from one of the pockets in his little jacket (how did that book fit in there? this one was much bigger than his tiny notebook), “You both changed the most so chances are you guys stopped it. _Somehow._”

The book was torn up. It looked like it had gone through the end of the world (ha!) before Five got ahold of it and probably had written all over it. Klaus had figured most of Five’s info on them would have been from newspapers and tabloids but he opened the book as if that’s where his information was from. Had someone written a book about them? Would they have been accurate? (There had been some books written about them over the years, but none of it was ever very truthful. They were filled with the propaganda from when they grew up. No one had been interviewed in the books and so they never went into detail with the horrors they’d survived.) 

“It says here that--”

“Is that Vanya’s face?” Klaus interrupted, shocked. “On the back? _Like an about the author?_” He reached out and grabbed the book, ignoring Five’s heated glare.

Vanya had stilled in her seat.

Klaus quickly flipped through the book before reading the first sentence. It matched the manuscript she’d started but threw away (the first line was memorable, he’d never forget it). It said it was by Vanya Hargreeves (his sister). He looked up slowly and said, “It’s your book. The one you didn’t finish.”

Vanya’s mouth opened and closed a few times, “Okay, _how do you know about that?_ I threw it away.” She turned to Five, “I didn’t publish the book. I swear.”

Five’s brow furrowed as he looked between the two of them. 

“I _may have_ seen it when I was digging in the dumpster and _may have_ read what you’d written,” Klaus said. (He knew it’d be a breach of trust, to read it. But at the time he didn’t trust her. Reading it actually made him like her more. She’d been ready to spill the tea but when she realized she was needed (when she adopted him) she was ready to close that chapter (ha!) of her life.)

“Wait, when did you dig in our trash to find the manuscript? We didn’t let you out of our sight back then.” Which was true. By the time she and Diego calmed down and left him alone the dumpster would have been emptied. 

“You were asleep. In your room, remember I had the sofa? _Sneaky, sneaky._ Never snuck out for drugs though. Just some good ol’ dumpster diving. Kept me busy.”

She blinked slowly, taking in what he was saying, “You dug in the trash -- in the dumpster, while I was sleeping?” He could imagine how her voice would be slowly rising as she asked. Very much taken by surprise by this new information (it shouldn’t be new, he never hid his hobby (or did he hide it? she’d been asleep after all)).

“Sure. I mean, I was awake -- nightmares probably, and I didn’t want to wake you and like, it's hard for me to know if my nighttime activities in the apartment are too loud. You needed the sleep. So. Trash.” He shrugged. It made sense at the time (it still made sense). 

“Do you still go through trash?” Vanya asked.

Klaus didn’t know why this was such a big deal. Other people threw it away (he’d been thrown away before, lost in the trash and garbage) but sometimes there were treasures in there (he’d like to think he was a lost treasure, Vanya had come along and found him and gave him a home). “Sure, the skirt I wore yesterday had been thrown away. If anything those people should have given it to a homeless shelter or like Goodwill or a resale shop. Can you believe someone just threw it away? I mean it had a big tear in it, but I fixed that right up!” He mimed sewing.

Vanya took a deep and calming breath. 

Five took the book back, “Why didn’t you finish writing it?”

Vanya turned her attention back to him, “Klaus moved in. After that I felt like I couldn’t continue to write it. I found out I was wrong about a lot.”

Five frowned, “I have an idea why, but why did he move in?”

“He deafened himself.” Vanya answered, probably confirming his idea. 

“He said that earlier. Why’d he do that?”

Klaus was tired of them talking as if he wasn’t in the room (_rude_). He was tired of people talking like he wasn’t in the room (it happened a lot, it was good when Ben around to fill him in on the hot goss). He understood how so many people thought it was okay to talk around him (he _was_ deaf) but it still sucked (especially when it was two siblings talking _about_ him). “I listened to a ghost doctor. He said he knew what he was doing and he’d like, done lobotomies when he was trucking around so I _kinda_ knew what I was doing when I stuck those knitting needles in my ears. He said it was close enough to an ice pick that it’d be fine.”

Vanya did not seem happy. Klaus couldn’t remember what all he’d told her when he’d first done the deed. They didn’t talk about it much passed the initial week or so. Maybe he hadn’t told her everything. He knew he mentioned the ghost doctor, Diego had asked about that. 

Five, meanwhile, had blinked over to the bar and poured himself a stiff drink before downing it and pouring himself a second (which he thankfully didn’t drink like a shot). “Might want to be careful of underage drinking, Five. Don’t want to end up like me with a bad brain. Your thoughts are too full of math to waste on booze.”

Five glared, “So you do what ghosts tell you now?” He seemed to be ignoring the underage drinking comment (Klaus knew he was technically in his fifties, but he was also technically in his teens). He’d let it go this time but if he noticed him drinking a lot he’d have to badger him. (Maybe he could guilt him, telling him that seeing him drink made it hard to stay sober. _It wouldn’t be a complete lie._ He’d seen Five drink a few times now and _boy howdy_ he felt himself having to fight the _want_. 

“Ha! _No!_ I can’t hear them now, Five. You do know what deaf means, yeah?” Klaus couldn't help but poke fun at Five.

Five did not look amused. He then looked at the book before turning his gaze back to them. “Are you my family?” Klaus could imagine how hollow that would’ve sounded.

“What do you mean? Of course we are!” Klaus said as Vanya voiced something similar (probably).

“Things changed before I even showed up. You lost your hearing, Vanya didn’t finish the book. Maybe I messed up more than my body, maybe I brought myself to some sort of alternate dimension where your Five had done the same thing as I did but never made it back. Didn’t need to, because the end of the world never happened. He’s still in the future and one day we’ll just run into him.”

That sounded stupid, “That sounds stupid. _You are our brother, Five._ Use that big brain. Things got changed before you showed up at dad’s funeral. Come on, I mean, I probably changed things when I went to ‘Nam. That butter affect and all.”

“Butterfly effect,” Vanya corrected.

Klaus waved his hand at her, “Yeah, that. But you’d been all through time right? Killing people? Like your buddies? They killed _a lot_ of people. So I know like your old boss tried to keep the timeline but maybe they fucked it up. _Fixed it_. Maybe they fixed it. Ha! Can you imagine? They play like we’re pawns but in the end they were playing Connect Four and we flipped the bottom catch and _whoosh_ they all come tumbling down.”

“You sure he isn’t high?” Five asked Vanya.

Vanya looked at him (really _looked_ at him). “He hasn’t been sleeping well. Also that wasn’t even that weird of a thing for him to say. I followed along easily enough. Oh god, am I spending too much time with him?”

Klaus winked and did finger guns at her. 

Five took a sip of his drink, “Okay. So as far as you can tell things changed when Klaus -- when he -- _harmed himself._” They both nodded. “So how did-- what happened?”

“Was in rehab, ghosts wouldn’t shut up and the doc kept telling me ways he’d help me if he were alive and if it was the 40’s or 50’s or _whenever_, he wasn’t very fond of me. Y’know doctors from then thinking like, basically everything about me would be a mental illness? Anyway he suggested _a lot_ of things while I was there but when I told him to shut up after like, I swear to god, the thousandth time he told me I can make _everyone_ shut up. Ben tried to talk me out of it, but, _get this_, I didn’t listen to him. Ha!” Klaus grinned. Really, he’d made such a good choice.

Five didn’t seem to agree as he finished his second drink like he’d finished his first. Going back behind the bar he just grabbed the bottle and drank from that instead refilling his glass. “This ghost, he have a name?”

“Probably. I’m sure he does,” Klaus shrugged, trying to remember. It’d been years and his memory wasn’t so great. Did he even pay attention when the doctor said his name? Ben would know. Where was Ben? (_Doing Ben things_.) “Clive Barker. Clint Parker? Collin Marker?”

Five’s gaze sharpened, “Clive Marker? Was it Clive Marker? Short, balding, big mole on his left ear?”

Klaus snapped his fingers, “Yeah! That’s it. That’s him! That _fucking_ mole, man!”

“Klaus, I killed him. I killed the man who--”

Klaus wasn’t paying attention to what Vanya was translating anymore. His mouth felt dry, he could feel his heartbeat in his ears again. Five killed the doctor, he killed the doctor who--

Tripping over his feet Klaus wrapped Five up in a hug before Five could realize what was happening. “Thank you. _Thank you_. Five--” Klaus could tell he was crying. Five wasn’t moving in his arms, “You _saved_ me.” He kissed the top of Five’s head, _”You saved me.”_ Loosening his grip some, he kept his hands on Five’s shoulders but pulled back enough to look at his face. Getting down on his knees he tried to get on Five’s level. Taking a breath, he said, “Five, if you think what really changed things was me deafening myself then you didn’t just save me when you killed Clove Tinker, _you saved the world_. You stopped the apocalypse before you even came back to stop it.”

Five looked like he’d been punched. His face broke down and he fell back into Klaus’s arms. Klaus held him close as he felt Five start to cry. _Really cry_. To let go. 

Klaus knew what it was like to be an addict (he still was one, even though he’d been sober for years). He knew how hard it could be to let go of your addiction (let alone one that you’d had for as long as Five had _the end of the world_). He would be there for his brother, help him heal from this. He was just glad that he had the time to help Five (that Five was _there_). And then to find out that you’d saved the world before actually trying? Klaus couldn’t imagine (he could, but it wouldn’t be right). 

So Klaus closed his eyes and held Five tight, humming a tune that was in his head. 

(He’d be there for Five like Vanya had been there for him.)

When Five finally pulled away, Ben was behind him, ready to translate.

“Are you singing _Mambo Number Five_?”

Klaus laughed, “A little bit of Five in my life.”

Ben rolled his eyes, “You were pitchy.”

_(Shut up, Ben!)_


	2. Luther

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! big thanks to [rem](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GabbyD) for being my cheerleader. you're the best. but yeah the last of this wine did happen so yeah listen okay y'all are great y'all are wonderful

They had arrived early to the mansion because Vanya wanted to talk to Five about something. (Klaus wasn’t sure what, she didn’t tell him, he didn’t ask). Later in the day they were scheduled for teaching ASL. Five and Luther (Allison over Skype). Vanya would be doing the main teaching (she was good at teaching) while Klaus would (probably) ease the tension of them feeling like they’re not learning fast enough with his jokes. 

Usually when Klaus spoke, he didn’t bother signing as well. Not when talking to Ben, Dave, Van, Di, or Eudora (so many people in his Family). But whenever he spoke to the three beginners he made sure to sign along (_sing-along, just follow the bouncing ball_). They all said they wanted to learn, Five the most (he set up times for them all to learn and Klaus knew he was looking stuff up outside of their lessons). The other two weren’t looking stuff up in their free time, they had lives (_didn’t care as much_), which Klaus couldn’t fault them for. 

Since they had arrived early, Klaus took Dave to the backyard with him, “There’s something I want to try.” He’d been thinking about it for a few days. But he couldn’t try it at their apartment (no yard). 

Klaus was so happy (ecstatic) that he could contact Dave. He hadn’t tried for a few weeks, worried that he’d fail (like daddy always said he would) at properly conjuring the only ghost (not the only; because _Ben_) he ever wanted to see. Since becoming sober (deaf) he’d gotten very good at his powers (control who is solid and who isn’t, plus all the nifty telekinesis). He didn’t know if he could banish ghosts, never really got into trying that since he didn’t hear them. _Just had to keep them ghost, do not give them physical form_. 

But he’d still worried.

What if he couldn’t contact Dave. What if Dave didn’t want to show up. What if--

Thankfully his worries were for not. 

And now their apartment officially had two occupants (Vanya, Klaus) but _really_ there was four (he’s Four) (Vanya, Klaus, Ben, Dave). 

But that’s besides the point. The point is, the backyard had trees.

He levitated himself up to a nice and sturdy branch and then manifested Dave beside him, “And now we make out.” He waggled his eyebrows.

It was a little later, Klaus with leaves in his hair and Dave holding him that he saw Luther in the garden below. Dave leaned back and let go of Klaus. “You should talk to him,” Dave signed. “Get to know you’re brother a bit better.”

Klaus rolled his eyes, “Fine. Only because my ass is numb from the tree branch.”

Luther seemed to only notice Klaus when he levitated out of the tree (great job with the vigilance, Number One). He had jumped a bit at (Klaus assumed) the rustle of the leaves and then stood and watched with wide eyes as Klaus slowly floated down, like the _bamf_ he was.

(Luther was not used to sober and powerful Klaus. Klaus got it, he did. But he could’ve been used to it if he ever _picked up the damn phone._)

As soon as his bare feet hit the ground Klaus wiggled his toes and smiled. As much as he liked shoes (he could buy a new pair every day and be happy) he didn’t really like to wear them. Just own them. Vanya had to talk him out of new shoes often, Eudora often encouraged him though (that was nice). (But Vanya was right, for someone who had to be forced to wear shoes he owned way too many.)

Luther was on his knees in the garden. Dirt on his hands, gloves off (coat on). Looked like he was planting something. Klaus gave the garden a closer look. Chances are since coming back to earth, Luther had his hands in the earth a lot. He spied a lot of freshly planted bushes and flowers and a pile of weeds in the compost. (They had compost?) He was surprised at how many of the plants he could identify (thanks Herb (take that _nominative determinism_, Klaus knew a horticulturalist named Herb)).

“What are you doing? What plant is that? Can I play in the dirt?” Klaus signed and spoke, wiggling his toes further into the dirt. He took in Luther’s wide eyes, “Don’t worry, Dave’s here to translate. Y’know Dave right? My dead boyfriend. He says hi.”

“I didn’t say hi,” Dave pointed out.

“Well pretend you did,” Klaus rolled his eyes.

“Um, hi Dave?” Luther tried. “What were you doing in a tree?”

“Oh, well you remember that childhood rhyme I taught you all? _Dave and Klaus, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G_? I wanted to live that and y’know it was in my _power_ to do so! Get it? _My power to do so_ because the love of my life died? Christ I’m a marvel.”

Luther frowned, “Yeah, I remember. How did you learn that rhyme anyway?”

“Johnny taught me,” Klaus shrugged.

“Oh yeah, your imaginary friend.”

Klaus frowned, “No? Our neighbor boy who was murdered by his cousin. I never had imaginary friends, Lu. You realize that, right?” Did Luther really never piece it together? That his ‘imaginary friends’, as Reggie at first called them, were the dead? 

“Murdered?” Luther looked gutted at the knowledge. (Had Luther never thought about what Klaus’s powers meant? _What seeing the dead meant?_)

“Yeah. He was missing an eye by the end. But if I remember right that’s where the bullet went through so--” Klaus let the sentence hang there. 

After an awkward pause (one, two, three, four (he’s Four)), Klaus said, “Plants! You’ve got them! Look at them! All blooming and stuff! What is it you’re planting now? By the way your yellow lady’s-slipper orchid looks amazing.”

Luther’s brow furrowed, “How do you know the name of that plant but not this one? Or any plants?”

“Dead hortcurlist followed me around for a while. Herb had a thing for orchids, to be honest. But you still haven’t told me what one you’re planting. I don’t know it. I can’t remember all the plants Herb told me about, beyond the many orchids. Like I _cannot_ stress enough how much the little dude loved those.”

“It’s a virgin’s bower.”

Klaus snorted out a small laugh. “Sorry! I didn’t -- _virgin_. Not that being one is funny! Like, no slut shaming or virgin shaming here, no siree! But for a plant’s name? Dude, did you know there is a plant named sneezewort yarrow? Or the shaggy soldier,” Klaus turned to Dave and waggled his eyebrows. “Get it, babes? _A shaggy soldier_.”

Dave had a fond grin on his face, “I get it.”

“And the stiffcock!” Klaus cackled.

“So you remember all these plants but you don’t remember the time we played hide and seek and we couldn’t find you for three hours? Or the time you tried to jump off the roof because you thought you could fly? _When you set fire to the sofa?_”

Dave gave him _a look_. Okay Dave, as Klaus had mentioned, no slut shaming here! (Which time when he set fire to the sofa? Didn’t he do that more than once? They did have _a lot_ of sofas.) “Yes well, I was probably high during all that.”

”We were twelve when we did all that. All of that was before Five left.”

Klaus shrugged, “Yeah? What’s your point? _My point_ is that the dead tend to badger me way more than my memory does.”

It made sense that his siblings, none of whom ever had a drug problem, don’t fully understand the extent of doing hard drugs for around a decade did. Most of that time was a blur and since then he’s gotten better but he’s still _not right_. He forgot easily, spaced out often, couldn’t always figure out simple problems. (They had a joke that he was like Dory from Finding Nemo. _Not the best at everything, tries very hard, loves their friends and family_.) 

“So,” Klaus started after the second awkward pause with his brother (one, two, three, four (he’s Four)), “can I get these hands of mine _real dirty_?”

Luther’s face went red with embarrassment.

“If you want, like, this thing to be a you and plants bonding time, I get it, I do. Feeling connected to the earth is very important and I can’t imagine what it would be like when you’ve been in space! Which! So cool! Space is cool! But so is the earth! The jungle in Vietnam is real pretty when it doesn’t have hundreds of dead in it or bombs going off by the way.”

“Vietnam?”

“Sure, that war I was in? Vietnam, buddy.”

“Oh, that’s-- oh,” Luther looked down for a second. “Do you want to talk about it?” He looked as if asking that almost hurt him. 

Klaus shook his head. If he felt like he needed to talk about it, he had his Family, he had a therapist. He also didn’t want to lay down the harsh reality of his own life at Luther’s feet. Luther didn’t need to know the details of war, his time being a homeless drug addict, the personalized abuse their father gave him. 

Luther was only now realizing how abusive Reggie was. 

Let him learn slowly, don’t dump everything on him at once. (That could break Luther, finding out exactly how bad Reginald was to everyone but Luther. Klaus didn’t know how _bad_ he was to Luther (worse than the others? he hadn’t left home, that's a long time to dig your boney hands in someone) but he acted like they actually _had_ some good times together.) 

Besides, Klaus had grown a lot since getting sober (becoming deaf). Luther had only started growing. He needed to be there for Luther (Number One). Vanya had started to lay the groundwork with the books about abuse. (Also, while Klaus had no proof, he is _certain_ that Ben yelled at him at some point and “explained” some things to Luther.)

Luther had spent four years alone on the moon.

Klaus could not imagine the hurt that caused his bigger brother. 

“Right now I’m fine, thanks Lu. But if you ever need to talk about _things_ I’m here. I mean, I can’t _listen_, but you’re learning ASL, I’ve got ghost translators, writing is still a thing. But right now what _I_ want is to get my hands dirty in that dirt. How about you? Making the connection that things are real with your hands? _So good._” Klaus thought about how sometimes he put his fingers to his throat to feel his voice box as he sang, hummed, spoke. Making the connection that sound was still real with his hands. To make sure he was still making sound (he _missed_ sounds).

“How come I can’t see Dave but I’ve seen Ben?”

Klaus’s eyes flickered to Dave, “Well, I used a lot of energy to manifest him enough to make out for him? And I want to save some for _later_.”

Dave blushed so prettily.

Klaus grinned at Dave. 

Luther fidgeted.

Klaus turned back to Luther, _”Let’s get dirty.”_

So Klaus joined him in the garden. “It’ll be harder for you to talk to me as we dig around, big guy. But not to worry! I am good at holding up a one sided conversation,” he laughed. “I’m sure that wasn’t news to you. But if you want me to be quiet, I get it. Trust me, I understand the need for silence, my friend!” He glanced up and Luther smiled at him.

Clearly okay with conversation.

“Plants are great, nature? Like, shit won’t be kept down! It’ll find cracks in cement and grow and overcome so much, y’know? All that ivy on this fucking mansion? Given time, it’d tear it apart. _So bad for the bricks._ Looks cool though. If ignored nature will destroy the foundations in order to survive, it’ll fight for it’s life. I mean, life goes on whether you participate or not.”

Klaus looked up from his digging to Luther who had stopped to stare at Klaus, “But y’know, sometimes plants need a little more help. Replant it, more sunlight, less water, _a caring hand_. Gotta get your hands dirty to help it grow, help it live,” he shrugged. “Worth it, right? Watching things bloom under your care? With some of your attention it can change so much.”

Klaus then took a handful of dirt and before Luther could react (to busy thinking about nature and shit), he put the dirt down the front of Luther’s shirt. He laughed at the surprised face Luther gave him. 

Before Klaus knew what was happening, Dave (_the traitor!_) had picked up a large mound of dirt and dropped it on Klaus’s head. Klaus screamed and turned to find Dave solid and giving a wink to Luther, saying _something to him._ Turning back around to face Luther, Klaus found himself being covered with an even larger (bigger hands) mound of dirt. 

“Ah! Betrayal! Traitors! Burying me alive!” Klaus called out while using his telekinesis to get some mud (better than dirt) and threw it at both Luther and Dave. Dave (_the traitor!_) dematerialized himself before he got hit (_splat_ the mud hit the k-i-s-s-i-n-g tree). Luther (however) couldn’t dematerialize himself. 

And so the mud fight began. (Thank Christ Diego wasn’t around with his _unfair advantage_.) It didn’t last long. Klaus had slipped on the mud and almost fell, going to crush the plants when Luther’s hand flashed out and grabbed him. “My hero!” Klaus put a muddy hand on Luther’s face. “Saving the dame like old times.”

Luther shook his head fondly and sat him down, “Thank you Klaus.”

Klaus shook any mud off his face and hair (Dave said he looked like a dog after getting wet but fuck Dave (and _fuck Dave_ yeah, later though)). “Whatever for, darling?”

“Just -- I needed this,” Luther gestured to the yard.

“Oh boy we made a mess, huh?” Klaus saw how the dirt and mud got _everywhere_. “Well I’m not going to clean it up. Nature can! I’m going to go and take a long hot bath. I’d invite you Lu, but you’d be a third wheel, yeah?” He patted Luther on the arm. “Come get me if you ever want some company when gardening.”

He left then, knowing that _whatever_ they’d just done had been good for Luther.

After all, sometimes you just _had to get your hands dirty._


	3. Allison

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mot of this was written while wine had been had (not at all unusual) and i personally am not sure if i like it but remus says it's good and i trust them so here you go

Klaus was home alone (he was never alone) when Allison decided to visit. However, he wasn’t _really_ alone (he was never alone) because Dave and the little dead girl were there. 

They were having a tea party.

He’d recently brought home the small plastic tea set, imagining the little four year old girl (he’s Four) would love to have a tea party with him. He hadn’t been wrong. She had picked up that he can’t hear her and either Dave or Ben would have to translate for her.

She was a peach.

“Darling, would you pass the sugar bowl? I fear my tea is _dreadfully_ bitter and I need to make it as sweet as you,” Klaus announced. He _was_ talking to the girl but if Dave thought he was talking to him that would be okay too.

He’d made them both solid for this. Normally he wouldn’t dream of making any ghosts besides Ben and Dave solid, but he figured why not. She’d never done anything more than try and play games with him so it should be fine. She wouldn’t try to hurt him like the others did. 

As the girl giggled and passed the empty sugar bowl there was a knock at the front door (Dave told him). Klaus excused himself and went to see who was bothering him during the tea party. Much to his surprise Allison was there to greet him.

“Sister mine! Come in, come in. Our dearest Vanya is away right now, so I hope you weren’t here to see her. She won’t be back for hours probably,” Klaus lightly gripped her arm and pulled her in. 

He saw her take in the apartment, signs of both him and Vanya laying around. Signs of Ben and Dave. A tea set setting out. Klaus had both the girl and Dave go ghost when he went to answer the door (don’t scare the neighbor with ghosts, that’s rude). Books, blankets, movies all strewn about. Violin stand in the corner by the windows, tarot cards in the middle of a reading, dirty dishes in the sink. It looked lived in (loved) like a family used it as their home. (So unlike the Academy that looked more like a museum. So gross.)

“A tea party?” She signed slowly. They were a decent chunk into their lessons but they used Vanya as a translator most of the time.

“Sure,” Klaus nodded. “Little ghost girl, Dave, and I were hanging out for a bit.”

“Oh,” Allison blinked, looking around the room and not seeing any ghosts. “I’m sorry I interrupted.”

“It’s fine, darling. We were winding down anyway. Come in, sit!” He maneuvered her to the sofa, “Want some tea?” With a quick look at the tea set he added, “Real tea?”

“Let her know I’m here and willing to translate if she doesn’t know the signs involved,” Dave said. 

Klaus waved his hand at him and relayed the comment. Allison smiled (she had a nice smile too (nothing on Vanya’s though)) her thanks.

“I was thinking we could hang out?” Allison said, “Have a spa day like we used to?”

“Ah well,” Klaus scratched the back of his neck, “most of my spa stuff is at Eudora’s. We do a spa day at least once a month. I have some nail polish and make-up but nothing fun, just y’know, daily stuff.” He shrugged. 

Her face fell (his fault). It was odd, turning his sister down for a spa day. (Lies: he rarely turned his sister down for a spa day, only that sister was Eudora. He hadn’t seen Allison in _years_. She was still his sister, sure, but Vanya and Eudora had been there for him when she wasn’t. When she had _nothing_ to do with him. When he was less than some dirt that got on her name brand heels. But she was still his sister, she always would be and he’d always make time for her. Just maybe not a spa day. Those were special now, for him and Eudora.) 

“We can do something else!” He exclaimed. “That doesn’t mean -- I still want to hang out with you.” (And Dave or Ben, to help the conversation. Five was almost better at ASL than he was, but Allison and Luther were mostly using the classes Vanya put on to learn. Klaus wasn’t surprised, after all, those were the two that ignored their calls for years.)

Allison nodded, “Okay.” She looked around again, “Anything in mind?”

Klaus shot a look at Dave who was explaining what was happening to the four year old (he’s Four). He did have plans for after the tea party, maybe he could invite her along with? Getting Dave’s attention, he quickly asked him in ASL, not wanting to get Allison’s hopes up. 

“Of course, Dove. She can join us,” Dave smiled at him.

Turning back to Allison, Klaus noticed her staring at his hands, probably trying to figure out what he’d asked (he’s asked so fast, sloppily even, she probably didn’t know what he’d said). “Well, I did have plans this afternoon,” ignoring her frown he continued, “and Dave and I both want you to join us, if you want.”

“What is it?” Allison asked, hands moving slowly. 

“Well, way back before the war Dave tended to volunteer and walk dogs for the local shelter and since coming back from the dead, I mean he’s _still dead_, but since goin’ ghost he badgered me until I broke down and agreed to walk dogs like he used to.”

“I bet that was hard to talk you into it,” Allison said, eyebrow raised in sarcasm.

Klaus snickered, “Yes, minutes and minutes of talking me into it. Anyway, we tend to walk dogs every so often and that was on the agenda. So, Allie-cat, want to spend some time with some of the very best dogs?”

Of course she said yes. (Only a fool would say no.)

So Klaus led her to the nearby shelter, talking the whole time. (He was glad she was around again. Was she getting closer to getting custody of Claire? _(He did not start to cry when he found out Claire was learning sign language for her Uncle Klaus.)_ How long was she in town? He’d love to bake a quiche for her and Allison and they can do brunch. Sorry no mimosas, orange juice only. He’s still tempted with booze. Yeah, he had a few relapses but he’s been sober for years. _(Never relapsed in the war, thanks to Dave.)_ Got any hot celeb gossip? Oh can he hold one of her Oscars and make a speech? Can he come to a red carpet event? He’ll behave _(I don’t know who _have_ is but he’ll _be_ him.)_. You could adopt a dog, it’d help bribe Claire.) 

They entered the shelter.

Bethany smiled at him, signing hello. “I see you brought a friend.”

Klaus nodded, “This is my sister Allison. She’s visiting at the moment and wanted to walk some dogs with me.” 

Allison looked on with wide eyes. (Surprised that Bethany spoke to Klaus in ASL?)

“Got enough good boys and girls for us today?” Klaus asked, ready to get his hands on some dogs. _He was going to pet them all_.

“Always for you, Klaus,” Bethany smiled. She led them back and handed them some dogs. Klaus’s looked like a mutt. Some lab for sure, but what else, he didn’t know. “This is Star.” She then handed Allison a goldendoodle, “This is Sir Rupert the Brave. We mostly call him Ru.”

For a second Klaus was worried the dog was named Sir Reggie. (Ha! That’s what nightmares are made of. A dog named after his dad.)

So they set out.

“Even when Dave isn’t with me, this is a great activity. Keeps me busy,” Klaus commented. “I don’t have to worry about Star or Ru knowing sign language because they’re dogs. I can talk and chatter to them and no one really looks at me weird when that happens.”

“Do you get strange looks a lot?” Allison inquired.

Klaus shrugged, “Not as much as I used to. I mean, I once explained this to Diego _ages_ ago. The list of things people judge me with is a little less than before, lost the homeless and the junkie whore, but still. As a person who ‘talks to the empty air beside them’ also known as ghosts, being an addict was a great cover. No one _cared_ if I talked to myself then. They’d look and then they’d ignore. Just another junkie talking to himself. But now people judge in a different way.”

Allison frowned, “I’m sorry, that’s--”

“Normal.” Klaus said, giving a small smile. “It’s fine. I’m sure you get lots of looks, you’re way more famous than the rest of us, after all. _So talented_. And Star agrees, _don’t you, Star. Yes you do!_ Star thinks you’re a star.” Ha! He’s hilarious. 

She smiled at him and ducked her head for a second. Probably embarrassed with the compliment. Well tough shit, he used to get embarrassed too, but years of his Family helping him and building him up? You get better at taking compliments. (You’d think a world famous superhero turned actress would be better at it.)

He bumped shoulders with her and gave her one of his best smiles (never failed to make Vanya smile back). 

Allison smiled back. (Success!) “Thank you, Klaus.”

After a few more minutes Ru, the very excitable dog, pulled tight against the leesh and tugged hard and Allison lost her grip. She immediately took her shoes off and started running after him, calling his name. Klaus held on tighter to Star who started pulling, wanting to run with Ru. 

Thankfully before Ru could get very far, Klaus focused and Dave appeared before the dog, catching him in his arms. Giving him pets and scratches. Allison slowed, eyeing Dave. She said _something_ to Dave who said_something_ back. 

They shared a laugh.

Klaus felt happiness spread in his chest. Allison and Dave were laughing together. They got along. Allison seemed to want to be in his life again. She wanted to get to know Klaus (she’d wanted a spa day). 

After she got control of Sir Ru again, they continued their walk, talking with Dave beside them (visible to both). The walk didn’t last long, they soon had to turn back and give the dogs back. 

So then, the dogs being dropped off and saying goodbye, Klaus turned to Allison. “Next time Dave and I come here, would you like to join us? When you’re in town?” 

“I would love to,” Allison smiled.

“Great. Listen, Allison, there is a legit tea room near here, I had one tea party today, but I don’t party near as much as I used to, shall we have another tea party?” 

She laughed, “Lead the way.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent at Blank Canvas Tea and Coffee, where they had tea and scones. They chatted some more. Klaus thought this could be the thing for the two (three if you included Dave, but at the time Allison couldn’t see him, so as far as she knew--) of them. 

On their walk home, Vanya texted Klaus. (Oops, no note.) He explained in text he was hanging with their sister (not Eudora).

They ended up inviting Allison to stay for their evening meal. She stayed late, talking with Vanya when Klaus finished his tarot reading. 

The tarots spoke of rekindling friendships, of bonding, of good things. 

Klaus looked up and saw his two sisters laughing at a joke. He thought of how Five was back (yay!) and Luther had his garden and Allison was doing good in her therapy and getting to see her daughter. 

The cards don’t lie.

The future was full of good things.

**Author's Note:**

> obliqueoptimism.tumblr.com feel free to yell at me about stuff


End file.
